Brutal Love
by ImagineThePossibility
Summary: When Cato enters the Hunger Games, he falls in love with Katniss Everdeen. Soon, what's supposed to be a fight to the death turns into a twisted love triangle with crazy twists and turns. Who loves who, and which tribute will get a happy ending?
1. Chapter 1 - Confessing

**Authors Note:**

**The original Hunger Games is NOT owned by me. Happy reading~**

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**Chapter 1**

"Cato, this whole 'Girl on Fire' thing is really starting to annoy me. Katniss isn't even that special. She just set herself on fire and now she's the thing." Clove whined. "And don't even get me started on Lover Boy!"

I nodded my head. "I understand, but we'll end up killing them both in the games, now won't we Clove?"

"You're right Cato." She smirked to herself, then walked to her room. "Good night."

"And may the odds ever be in your favor." I continued. As she closed her door, I slumped against the wall. What was I going to do? Since day one, there was something different about Katniss. And I just realized it- I'm in love with her. It was only yesterday, when I saw her braids on her shoulder, her intense face, so soon before the actual Games I realized- I loved her. Tomorrow I was entering a fight to the death, and I didn't even tell her how I felt yet.

"Oh, Katniss." I whispered.

The next morning, when I awoke, I didn't feel like eating or drinking or anything. I just thought about her all morning long. I thought of her name, over and over again. Katniss Everdeen, Katniss Everdeen, Katniss Everdeen. She sounded like a fairy.

"Cato, you haven't talked much today." Clove noted. "I'm getting...worried."

"I'm okay. I just need to focus my strength." I said in a rush. We were getting dressed, wearing our Hunger Games attire. Clove looked pretty, but I wondered how Katniss would look- I wonder if she'd still be in her sweet, sweet braids.

We sat in the hovercraft, waiting to be released into the arena. We stayed pretty silent though. When we finally were, I took a deep breath.

"40,39,38,37..." The speaker boomed.

The setting was a forest, which is very common, and very useful. I saw a sword that would be perfect for me!

"21,19,18,17,16..."It was getting closer and closer to one.

I looked at Katniss, who was in position to go. She looked up at me, blinked, and turned away. Something was in her eyes- it was...love.

"5,4,3,2,1!" And everyone ran.

I grabbed my sword, a backpack, and then I took off into the forest. I had no need for extra items, because my main goal was to catch up with Katniss. I needed to tell her how I felt. As I was racing through the forest, for what seemed like hours, I saw her. Katniss was high in a tree, staring at me. She was trying to blend in with the branches. I pondered the approach I should make. I decided to be honest.

"Katniss, please come down, I won't hurt you, I just want to talk..." I said. She didn't move. _Idiot! This is a fight to the death. She isn't going to trust you!_ I angrily thought to myself.

"Please. No weapons." I dropped them all in a bush, then moved forward. I should've just waved a sign in the air that said, 'Come kill me!'

"How can I trust you?!" She retorted.

"That's what I wanted to talk about." I replied.

"Cato..." Her voice seemed to wander off.

"Katniss, I...love you."

"I know." Katniss said. "And...I love you too." She paused. "Cato, I always thought you were so strong, handsome, cute..."

_Doesn't everyone?_ I thought.

"Katniss, I was hoping we could be an alliance...instead of you and Lo- I mean, Peeta."

"Heh, Peeta. I don't see why we have to do everything together. I hate him! He's so...creepy and intrusive." Katniss spat. She climbed down from her tree, then turned around and smiled at me. I wrapped my arms around her, then kissed her head. Her body, so small, skinny and warm. Mine, so large and buff.

We took a long pause in this position, then we separated. "Cato, what if the other careers find out?"

Katniss was smart. I didn't even think of that!

"They won't. I'll go back to base...We're a team, you see...Goodbye Katniss, stay safe." I said. Then I ran off. When I returned to our camp, Clove greeted me warmly.

"Oh, Cato, there you are!" She embraced me. She had always taken a shine for me, and if she loved me, this could cause problems.

"Clove! So, who's dead?"

"Believe it or not, quite a few careers."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. We know what people we plan on killing, though!"

"Good. Who?"

"For starters, Katniss Everdeen."


	2. Chapter 2 - Planning

**Author's Note:**

**Woah! This story has gotten a LOT more attention then I could've imagined or hoped for. My first story, very quick and boring, has 100 views and quite some followers? :') Thank you SO much! I'll post more~**

**By the way, I added more onto Chapter 1~**

**Plus, this is kind of a short chapter, sorry. :c**

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**Chapter 2**

I almost started choking on air. "Katniss? Why her? She's weak, wimpy...useless. Pfft, she doesn't even carry a whole lot around. She has a bag, yeah, but it probably doesn't hold much. We'll leave her for the traps. Now, let's talk about red head- the one who steals food. She's a problem."

"I see what you mean, Cato. But she scored an e-lev-en. She has some sort of secret skill that we don't know about." Clove carried on, acting worried. She was right, and if I didn't love Katniss, I would easily agree with her. There was no point arguing with her here because shed get suspicious.

"Alright." I said. "We'll keep an eye on her. But food thief? We can't turn our back on her- I came here to win. Not to starve." I really meant it, too. If we had someone snatching our meals? That's not very good.

"Gotcha. Hey, Glammer!" Clove yelled to a girl sorting ut her pack.

"It's Glimmer." She replied. She lifted her head, showing her pale face and bright blue eyes.

"Whatever. Are you done with the explosives?"

"Explosives?" I asked.

"No, Marvel did that." She said.

"Alright." She turned towards me. "Yeah, we placed the supplies and food by some old land mines. Anyone who tries to get them will go boom."

"Well, our food-thief problem has been solved." I said, biting my bottom lip. _But what about Katniss? I can't stop us from going after her, there really is no one else we have a reason to target._

That night, we were all sitting around a fire eating apples and dried fruit.

"So when will we attack Katniss?" Asked Marvel.

"When the time is right." I snapped back. I hope my dear Katniss has hid.

"I say, we knock her out of a tree. Or shoot her with an arrow. Or Cato can stab her. Or, or," Glimmer went and on.

"When the time is right. For now, lets focus on more threats."

"How about that Thresh guy? He's pretty tough." Brought up Ectric, a tribute from district three.

"Yeah, we could do something about him. What do you think, Clove?"

"Stab him. Or snap his neck. He's pretty...quick. I've seen him twice the whole games."

"Your right. We'll discuss more tomorrow, but for now, let's get some shut eye."

In the middle of the night, I got up and grabbed a knife. I had to find Katniss. I had to warn her.I walked around the cold, dark forest, in search of her_. It would've been much smarter to where those night vision glasses_, I thought. As I neared the tree I last saw her in, I noticed she was gone.

I was really worried, during a fight to the death this was kind of important. The dead tribute signals in the sky didn't go off yet, she could've died. I slumped down sadly, when I heard hooting and hollering. The kind of cheers my fellow careers made when they found a victim. I got up and ran, seeing them all circling a skinny tree, snickering.

"Cato, what a coincidence. Where were you?" Glimmer asked me, trying to look cool with her hands on her hips.

"Out...uh, hunting. And what are you doing?" I quickly responded.

"Well, I have great news..." She began.

Clove stepped in to finish the sentence for her. "We found Katniss!"


	3. Chapter 3 - The New Alliance

**Chapter 3**

I stared at her for a real long time, then glanced back up at Katniss. I could see her, hiding up there, wrapping her arms around the branches, glancing at me.

"I'll get her," I said in my strongest voice. I grabbed on the tree, then purposely slid down. "I can't do it."

"Then I'll shoot her." Said Glimmer, holding up a bog of arrows.

"You can use those?" I asked.

"Well, not really, but it's worth a shot." Glimmer pulled back an arrow and aimed it at Katniss. Lucky for me, she missed and it stuck in the tree.

"I can throw my knives!" Chimed in Clove. She had already pulled out a handful and was aiming them at Katniss, a happy, determined expression on her face.

"There's no point in it, she'll just have to come down." I said, winking at Katniss. She winked back at me, then mouthed, "Sleep."

"We should all go to bed, it's getting really dark out and we can't hunt more victims if we finally caught her..."

"You're right, fire girl is probably going to sleep soon anyway." Glimmer said.

We all curled up and went to sleep, but it the middle of the night I got up and walked over to Katniss. She was sitting in the branches, all innocent. I wanted her to come down and leave, so we could run away together. Sure, we'd have to kill each other in the end, but it's alright because we love each other. Just then, we heard a cannon. Then another, and another. they kept going off, counting the dead tributes. Not many safely walked away from the blood bath. Then the anthem played, and soon their images flashed in the sky. Drat, lover boy was still alive. The other careers are still asleep, they completely ignored the event.

I thought this was a perfect time to get Katniss's attention, so I got up and quietly tiptoed closer to her tree. I turned back to see everyone soundly sleeping. I stood closest to Marvel, the district one male tribute. I think Glimmer likes him because she's always so careless and...loony by him. But I turn to Katniss, shaking the careers out of my head. She, too, was asleep, belted in the high branches of her tree.

"Katniss." I whisper loudly.

"KATNISS!" I almost shout, trying desperately to get her attention. I feel a cold hand on my ankle and shriek loudly. Who knew what thing that hand belonged too? I squealed and shrieked and pranced around.

"Good God, Cato, you sound like a Chihuahua!" Clove angrily laughed. I had just woken her, and the rest of the Careers up, and they weren't too amused. I looked down. Marvel had rolled over and his hand was on me. I shook him off.

"I was just studying our victim, until you came along and woke her up!" I shot back. Katniss was now wide awake, already crawling up higher into the tree.

"Come down you stupid squirrel!" Clove shouts, tossing rocks at her.

"Clove, quit it!" I shout angrily, defending my love.

"What? You sound like you're on HER side!" Clove said.

"That's because I am!" I shouted.

Everyone turned towards me and gasped with horror, looking like I was their next victim. I pulled out my spear and jabbed it forward.

"And if you have a problem with that, I can fight you off." I snarled. Everyone ran off screaming, their legs darting in the grass looking like blurs. I turned towards Katniss, the moon reflecting on her soft skin, illuminating her face.

"I can't believe you did that for me..." Katniss started, almost crying.

"I would do anything for you."

Katniss was now my only alliance, but it was nice having her by my side. She crawled down quite a few branches so I could reach her. We snuggled up in her small sleeping bag, but I almost fell out. No big surprise, I'm huge compared to her. We both fell asleep almost instantly. No awkward conversations or awkward silences. The next morning, the other side of the sleeping bag was empty! I shot up, looking around franticly. I crawled down the tree, wanting to shout out, 'Katniss, where are you?' But that'd only get her killed. I quickly moved around the forest, pushing branches and flowers out of my way, sweat dripping from my head.

"Cato, who're you looking for?" She asked. I whirled around to see her standing there. She was holding a skinned rabbit, that looked pretty tasty.

"You." I relied, sighing a relived sigh that she was still standing.

"Oh, I was out hunting."

"I see that. Should we eat it?"

"Cato, you hog. We need to save this for later." Katniss chuckled.

"Okay..." I sighed, my stomach growling. We sat beneath the tree sorting out our packs. Well, Katniss did anyway. I ate a rabbit leg and took a power nap. But when I woke up, Katniss handed me a pack.

"Here." She said. "It's full of everything you'll need. Now, our plan is to go and kill some careers- not you- but, everyone else...we can't have them getting in out way."

"Alright!" I agreed, nodding. I picked up my pack and jogged away from her, silently praying that she'll stay out of trouble. I wasn't quite sure what she had put inside, but I trusted her instincts. As I neared the career base camp, I heard Clove crying.

"How could he do this to us?" She sobbed.

"He was just...maybe it's a tactic, he'll come back!" Glimmer comforted her.

"I just...don't know...Please leave, Glimmer."

"Okay, but I'll be here if you need me." She said as she walked away from Clove. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy.

I crouched low in the bushes to see what would happen next. She wiped her eyes with her arm over and over again, then stood up tall and proud. She dusted off her clothes which were coated in dirt. The she lifted her backpack and slung it around her shoulders. As she walked down the path Glimmer took, she turned around and stared at my bush- right through my eyes. I never was a good hider.

"Why?" She asked, in a silent choking voice. "I loved you- and you just...turn your back on me? On us?"

"It's...well, it is what you think. Clove...I can't explain it. she's just...like a magnet, okay?"

"But..."

"I know, I understand it's a harsh time for you guys now, but...only one of us can exit anyway..." I said, getting out of my hiding spot and approaching her.

"You're right..." She said, sounding much more clear.

"And I didn't want to see you hurt..."

"Cato, I want to be more than friends. My entire life I eyed you with love and happiness, and when you volunteered...I thought it was for me."

"It was for you!"

"Them, why did you just betray me?"

"I didn't want to see you get hurt!"

"Well the exact opposite happened!" She angrily shouted.

"It wasn't supposed to be that way, okay? You just wouldn't get it!" I argued back.

"Then explain it to me."

"Fine. Clove, Katniss will easily lose the games with Peeta tied behind her back. And with that eleven, we could use her! We just need to find her talent, bribe her, and then you can see the outcome..." I was lying through my teeth, but Clove was my friend. A very dangerous friend.

"You're right." She grinned.

"Thank you!"

"So you aren't really in love with her, right?"

"Well..." I wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Good." She said. She wrapped her arms around me and leaned in. So she thought my answer was a no. "Because I love you." Then she leaned forward and kissed me, right on the lips.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Landmines

**Author's Note:**

**FJKDJMDNMNSKD SO MANY VIEWS. :D People from all over the world are viewing~**

**I'm so happy! But, my muse is running low, so, I won't be updating, and if I do, the chapters will be very short~**

**Sorry. D:**

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**Chapter 4**

When Clove kissed me, I quickly pulled back in disgust, trying to wash the taste out of my mouth. We completely ignored the cannon that shot in the backround. I just crossed my fingers it wasn't Katniss.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"It's just...someone could...see us!" I made up an excuse quickly. I had to get back to Katniss, fast!

"You're right...look, Cato, I love you. And..."

"Clove, you're my friend. My knife addicted friend. I really...can't do this, please. Excuse me." I said, walking away from her. I truned back to see her pale face turning red, as if she was about to cry. But it stayed emotionless.

"Don't...don't take this the wrong way..." I said, choking on my words. My dry throat barley let them out.

"I won't." She said. "I won't."

As I exited the Career camp, I noticed the sun was lowering, and the sky was orange wit pink clouds. A cool breeze whirled in the air, chilling me. I had to find Katniss quickly so I could cuddle up in her sleeping bag. Or maybe she packed it with me. I reached into the orange pack she had nicely organized. Inside was a slice of bread, some rabbit meat, a knife, some rope, and night vision glasses. Well, she gave me the glasses, which are very useful.

I pulled out the bread and nibbled on the crust, hoping that would fill me up enough so that I wouldn't devour the rabbit in seconds. I pulled out the knife and looked at the sharp, fine blade. This was a knife Clove had picked up. How'd she get it? As I wrapped my hand around it, I continued wandering through the forest. I looked up in trees, searching for her. As I swiftly moved through the forest, I heard an explosion.

"What's going on?" I mumbled to myself, as I covered my ears and ducked. I heard a scream. It sounded like Katniss! I ran back to the career camp, crouching beneath the bushes as everyone rushed towards the supplies. They were all blown up- every single item. Gone, destroyed, burnt to a crisp. And if they weren't just a pile of ashes, they had been flung across the camp, smashing into the border of the arena. Idiots. As I looked by the bundle of supplies, I saw Katniss on the other side, looking bloody and broken. What was she doing? She needed to get out of here!

I looked up at the guy who was supposed to be guarding the supplies. Clove was furious and stabbed him right in the heart. She removed her knife and wiped off his blood as he fell to the ground, eyes open, bleeding painfully. Clove turned around and barked at all the other Careers. As she opened her mouth, about to speak, a cannon shot. She looked down at the boy, then stepped on his head.

"Do you know what was in those barrels? Our food! We had food, supplies, weapons...it's all gone! I hope you all have something in your packs, and I hope you have a pack, because there's nothing left now! Whoever did this is in big, big trouble and is at the top of our list! Understood?" She yelled, her face now red with anger.

"Understood!" Glimmer, Marvel, and a few others shouted. The rest just nodded their heads.

I looked up at Katniss who was now crawling away, still shocked by the explosion. I wonder if she knew the land mines were even there. But she was alive, and that was all that mattered. I wanted her to get away quickly. But what could I do? I needed to get out of here, but I would make too much noise. I just sat and waited for them to leave.

A hour later, the moon has reached the tip of the sky and everyone was leaving the camp to go human hunting. I finally got out of my spot, stretched, and ran in the direction Katniss had. As I passed the old supply place, I noticed a frying pan and a coil of wire. I picked them up then slid them into my backpack, happy I had discovered new items. Then I saw a burnt of arrow that had been snapped in half, and covered in ashes. How did that get there? Glimmer had those arrows- would she destroy the food supply?

I knocked the questions out of my head and continued traveling through the forest, searching for Katniss. As I swiftly moved under the trees, I heard a whisper. It sounded a lot like my name, but it was faint. And Muffled. It got louder, and louder...

"Cato!" The tree above me yelled. I looked up to see Katniss.

"There you are! What was that explosion all about?" I asked, a worried expression spread on my face.

"They reactivated land mines around their supplies. I had to do something to weaken them- so I shot at the supplies with my arrows, and an explosion went off. I think I'm deaf in one ear now..." She said, tapping her head.

"Where did you get the arrows? I thought Glimmer had them!"

"She did. But when was flirting with Marvel, she left them out in the open and I snatched them up. She's not very good at, well, guarding her items." Katniss said with a grin. I smiled back, almost laughing.

"Come down here, I can't climb that high!" I said, seeing her almost at the top of the old oak. She crawled down, greeting me with a hug.

"How did you see me down here, anyway?" I asked.

"I was looking for you, and there you came...I could see someone walking, and when the moon reflected on you, I yelled out your name." She stood their, then pulled apart our hug.

"I was so worried I wouldn't see you again." She sniffled.

"I was worried I'd never see you again."

With that comment, she stood on her toes and kissed me. She was so sweet, and smelled so nice...the girl on fire wrapped her arms around me, refusing to break the kiss. I knew we could be seen out in the open, and murdered at any second, so I pulled her off and patted her head.

"Later, it's too risky right now. The Careers are out." I warned her.

"You're right. I'm just glad I have you all too myself." Katniss cooed, hugging me again. I didn't have the heart to tell her about what Clove did.

"We should really get to bed, we need the energy in the morning." I said, smoothing out her hair with my hand.

"Okay. How high do you think you can climb?" She asked already starting up the tree.

"Probably only the third our fourth branch."

"Let's try the fifth!" She chuckled, already there.

I placed my rough hands on the bark, pressing my legs against the stump. I grabbed a branch, then another, and slowly climbed up to where she was. I almost slid down, when she grabbed my hand and helped pull me up. She belted us in and next thing I knew, she was out. I lied there, watching the stars glisten in the sky. I stayed awake in case any Careers came by, threatening us. I also did to see who died. As the anthem played, and the sky projected pictures of the fallen, I wasn't surprised. Rue, the boy Clove killed, and another tribute I didn't care for. I looked at Katniss. I loved her, but I knew we couldn't both exit the games in one piece. And I knew Peeta loved her too, making things even more complex. But now we were happy, clam, and peaceful, so I drifted off as well.

In the morning, I woke up before Katniss did, so I crawled down the tree quickly. I looked around, then reached in my pack and pulled out the bread. I bit into it, swallowing a large chunk of the soft pastry.

"Hungry?" Katniss asked. She was up in the tree, loosening her belt.

"Yeah." I replied.

"Eat some tree bark, that'll hold you over." She informed me.

I looked at a pine tree and stuck my tongue out in disgust. Me? Eat tree bark? Does she know how many ants and germs are wiggling around on that piece of wood? I didn't want to make her feel dumb, though, so I peeled off a piece and slowly nibbled on the edge.

"No! You're supposed to- nevermind." Katniss said, rolling her eyes. She crawled down the tree and greeted me.

"What's todays plan?" I asked.

"Weaken other teams. Kill, eat, steal. Nothing more or less." She said, shrugging. She lifted her pack and walked away from me. "Stay safe." She whispered.

"You too." I said, smiling. I spit out the tree bark and wiped off my tongue. I was no longer hungry. I slung my pack over my shoulder and walked in the opposite direction, heading towards the Career Camp. When I did, though, I spotted Food Thief. That little pest was holding my spear!

_How did she get that?_ I asked myself. I grabbed the knife Katniss supplied me with and inched closer to that devious red head. I silently picked up my feet, then lunged the knife at her neck. She bounced back, laughed, then threw my spear right at my neck. I grabbed it before it hit me, then scowled at her. She just bounced away, at full speed, too.


	5. Chapter 5 - Finch

**Chapter 5**

I knew Food Thief would have to die soon, she was quick and clever, yes, but a nuisance. I held my spear an moved onwards, following her trail.

"Why are you so interested in me?" A voice asked. I looked up to see Food Thief in the tree. How many squirrels were in these games?

"Because you steal. And people who steal usually have valuable things on them."

"Wouldn't that make you a thief too, Mr. Bigshot?" She taunted. I lifted the spear- my spear- and aimed it towards her.

"Why were you by the career camp?" I asked.

"I was looking for things that survive the explosion. All I found was a badly damaged arrow, though."

"Yeah, I took everything."

"Look, Cato, I'm not looking for trouble. If you want something, take it. Just leave me alone!" She yelled.

"I'm not looking for trouble either, okay? I'm not even sure I want to fight!" I shouted back.

"You're allies with fire girl, aren't you?" She asked.

"Why do you want to know?" I replied, lowering the spear.

"It's just...Peeta...he's with the Careers because he's looking for her."

"So...you've been spying."

"It's one of my main talents." She boasted.

"How...how would you like...to team up with Katniss and I?"

"You...want me in...you're group?" She grinned, her smile stretching from ear to ear. "No one's...ever accepted me."

I found that very surprising. Sure, she didn't seem social during training or anything, but really, no one is. I just nodded my head and greeted her with a smile. I hoped Katniss wouldn't kill me for this. After all, I didn't even ask her if she liked Food thief. I could only imagine her expression. And what about the end of the games? Who would kill who? Obviously, I couldn't stand to see Katniss killed so I'd probably pull a stunt, and Food thief was just unpredictable. I looked up at her. She had already climbed down the tree, and she was standing in front of me, with her fiery red hair in a bun and a purple pack slung over one shoulder.

"So, Cato, tell me. What's fire girl like?" She questioned.

"Well, could you tell me your name?" I asked her.

"Finch."

"Oh. Nice name. You look more like an Amber or Autumn, though."

"I asked you a question." She shot back.

"Well, she's really nice. Very clever, a good hunter too. She's an excellent tree climber, and very sneaky." I answered.

Finch nodded her head, then started walking down a trail. She turned her head to see me still standing their. She lifted her hand and curled her fingers, motioning me to follow her. I didn't know where we were going or what we were doing, but I followed along anyway. She was an interesting person, but she seemed useful- and pretty nice, if you don't get off on the wrong foot. Like I did. I tried not to step on any branches, but it looked like the explosion shook up the trees pretty well. Finch was very quick, even while walking. It was a struggle to keep up with her, but I managed too.

We finally reached a large lake, where she kneeled down into the squishy mud and cupped her hands together. She dipped them into the water, then pulled them back up, sipping the cool drink she retrieved. She then slid her hand under the purple cloth of her backpack and pulled out a grey canteen. As she dunked it into the lake, I wondered about her. She exited the bloodbath so quickly, where'd she get the pack? And how'd she know there was a lake here?

"E-excuse me, Finch? Where did you get that?" I asked, pointing to her back.

"It was strapped on Rue when I found her dead. We were kind of allies. We didn't really team up, but we bumped into each other once or twice and didn't do or say anything. When she died, I kneeled over and closed her eyes, rocking her until the cannon fired. I took her pack and left. She was a sweet girl, but this is the Hunger Games. Not everyone makes it out." She said softly, looking at her reflection in the water.

I didn't want to say much, because she looked very depressed. We just sat there in silence, staring off into space. We were probably both imagining a better world- one with no Hunger Games, Capitol, or death. I finally looked towards her, slowly walking forward. I kneeled down at drank the water with my hands, the same way she had. It felt so nice- so cool. I hadn't had a nice drink for a long time, and my throat was burning. I kept dipping my head in, and she laughed. Finch laughed.

"What are you, a fish?" She asked. Her eyes seemed to sparkle. Did she like me too? Well, I _am_ good looking.

"Just- really thirsty. Really, really thirsty." I said again, dunking my head back in. As I pulled it out, she handed me something. A canteen.

"Fill this up." She demanded, pushing it towards me. I dipped it under the water and pulled it up, screwing the cap on.

"Done."

"Great, you aren't useless." She chuckled. She got up and wiped the mud off her jeans.

"Let's go, we're wasting time." She said. She walked back, heading towards the Career camp again. I got up and followed after her, having to run to keep up.

When Finch reached the tree Katniss and I pretty much lived in, she frowned.

"_This_ is your home base?" She asked. She seemed kind of upset.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Oh, I know a lot about the tributes and the games." She said, with an evil look on her face. She wiped it off and grinned.

"You need to move to like, a cave or something. This is out in the open. And way to close to the Careers. Which, by the way, are starting to run low on food- so DON'T leave yousr out." She warned. She reached into her pack and pulled out a compass.

"There's a really good cave just west of here. When Katniss gets back, we'll tell her." Finch said again.

"Oh, I'm afraid- there is no more Katniss."

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**Author's Note:**

**Short chapter, sorry. :c**

**I love Foxface!**

**My friend said somewhere in the movie she found out her name was Finch. I don't know if it's true, but I like that name. It fits her.**

**And my muse has returned! Yay. :3**

**New chapters everyday!**


	6. Chapter 6 - Crazy Clove

**Chapter 6**

Finch and I turned around to see Clove standing in front of us, with an evil smirk. Her eyes seemed to stare right through Finch and landed on me, glaring with a fiery passion. Her smile, it was a taunting grin that stretched across her face.

"Clove..." I began, trying to fill her mind with common sense.

"And you're next!" She screamed, knocking over Finch and pushing me down.

Her strength really had improved, and she was very angry. With her foot on the back of Finch's head and her hands on my back, she took control of who killed who. She pulled back my hands and tied them with rope, then she tied my legs. She stood up, leaving me on the ground with the inability to move. She kicked Finch in the stomach, enjoying watching her cry out in pain. As she was about to strike again, Finch slashed her leg open with a knife. Clove screamed in anger, then slapped her face. She looked towards me and wacked me upside the head, making me feel woozy. I passed out.

When I came too, I was sitting on a wooden chair that was split up badly. I was tied to it, of course. Finch was next to me, and Katniss, across the room. This was an interesting twist. I'm pretty sure Caesar was saying over the microphone, "As you can see, Clove has kidnapped her fellow tributes and is torturing them before death! This must be a real treat for the game makers." I scowled at the thought of him, then looked back at Katniss.

She was staring at me with depression and weakness, her eyes filled with tears that would never pour out. Her hair was frizzy and muddy, her clothes were torn, and her face was cut and bruised. I looked over to Finch, hoping to see something more pleasant, but it was worst. Her hair was down and her face was all bloody and beaten. She had a tooth missing and her eyes were black and puffy. The warm, gooey blood slid down her lips like drool, and her arms were covered in scrapes, bruises, and stab wounds. Her shirt was splattered with blood and dirt, and her face still had Clove's shoe prints pressed into it. What had I done?

At that moment, Clove walked in, her nice array of knifes tied to her belts. She was finishing off the rabbit meat from my pack, when she spotted Katniss. She laughed as she swallowed the rest of the meat, then she turned to me. Her grin slowly disappeared, and her evil laugh face faded away into anger.

"You shouldn't have messed with me, Cato." She scowled, her lips trembling. Her hands shook and her face was screaming, but the noise never came out. Instead, she stood up straight and turned towards Finch.

"I have no use for you, you're just in my way. I'm going to finish you off quickly, Food Thief." Clove said. She lifted her blade and stabbed Finch's stomach, causing her to fall backwards. The chair made a thump as it hit the ground, and that was the end of Finch. I couldn't tell if a cannon went off or not, because Clove was laughing too loudly.

"Quit this!" I shouted, wiggling out of the chair. I broke out of the rope, pressed her against a tree and wrapped my hands around her neck. "What's wrong with you?!" I screamed. I slapped her across the face, and tightened my grip on her neck. As her face turned from blue to purple, I continued screaming. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

When Clove cried, I realized that she had just been possessed by her anger. She was so furious I liked a coal miner more than her, she couldn't handle it. I wanted to let go, I wanted her to breathe, I wanted to undue what I'd done, but it was too late. I had killed my best friend. My hands slipped off her throat, and I watched her collapse. I stared at the limp body In horror as the cannon for her went off. The moon lit up her face, and I shook in shock.

I turned back and freed Katniss, hugging her and crying at the same time.

"I almost lost you." I whispered.

"I...almost lost you..." She said softly, as she cried in my arms. I held her tight, then carried her back to our tree. I loved Finch...as a friend. A very, very good friend. Even better than Clove...and I hardly knew her. She didn't kidnap people and step on their faces. And she had a story. I couldn't stand to see the body. I walked away, coldly. When we reached the tree, I set Katniss down.

"I...couldn't save her."

"Foxface..." Katniss whispered.

"Who?"

"That's...what I called her." She said again. The blood dripping from her eyes, nose, mouth, and arms was not a good sign. I ripped off strips of my shirt and wrapped them around her wounds.

"Her name is Finch, and, she's really sweet..." I said. "She was, anyway. She was going to join us..."

"I noticed." Katniss said again. She curled up in my arms and fell asleep. Every second I moved my hand towards her chest to feel her heart beating. She couldn't die on me. Not now.

We lied on the ground, and as she slept, I stared at the sky. Above the leaves and branches, there was a dark blue sky and a million bright stars covering it. The large, gray moon shone down on us with it's luminous light. Then I heard it- the anthem. I sighed as I prepared myself to see my two friends faces projected in the sky. The sky I just thought was so perfect, and now I hated.


	7. Chapter 7 - And She's Back

**Author's Note:**

**Shot chapter, sorries. :c**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The sky projected a picture of Clove. That was the first picture I saw. I prepared myself for the next...but it never came. She was the first and last tribute to die. Finch! I bolted up, racing into the forest. My feet dashed across the forest floor, as I headed straight for the Careers. When I arrived, there was nothing less but the bloody body of Finch. They had moved- feared that without a true leader, there was nothing else to do. I kneeled down beside the body, lifting the red head carefully. I rocked her slowly in my arms, watching her face- waiting for her eyes to open. The clever girl probably played dead for Clove and the rest, waiting for the moment to rise, but she had bled so much she lost control of this tactic.

I draped her over my shoulder as I walked back to the base. I could see Katniss all lone, spread out on the muddy floor. What was I thinking? I should've woken her up, too! I left her all alone with crazy, leaderless murders on the loose for over half an hour. Of course, I was so close I would be able to hear her screams and I could dash over and slit the throat of her killer in less then a second. I put Finch on the ground next to Katniss and watched for anyone coming. My power naps during the day were paying off.

I heard a snap, crackle, and the rustling of tree branches. I stood up and took only two steps away from my allies, to see a raccoon had been caught in one of Katniss's traps. She had set these up earlier, and now they were paying off. Could you eat raccoon? I sat back down, pulling the girls closer as I watched the poor mammal swing from the branch of the tree, his foot caught and bleeding, his eyes looking deprived of life. Much like the look of Clove when my hands let go and she fell to the floor, her face still a mix of indigo and violet. I sat in silence, every so often about to drift off, but I snapped out of it. Until, I heard a murmur.

"Whe...where...re..." Finch slowly breathed out, barley conscious. I leaned over her head, a grin on my face.

"You're alive."

"Will...did...am...I...going to ma...it?" She whispered. I could barley understand her, but I just slowly nodded my head and let her rest in my arms. The sun began to rise and it's blaze lit up the dark, sorrowful sky.

Katniss finally woke up, stretching and looking at me. Her eyes widened and she almost burst into tears when she saw Finch, still alive. She wrapped her arms around us both, then let out a mix of cries and laughs. She didn't speak. I guess she wanted Finch to rest and regain as much health as possible. We sat there, watching each and every star lose it's power and burn out, replaced by a fluffy white cloud. I lifted my hand and pointed to the raccoon, whose fur glistened as the sun climbed higher into the blue wave of a sky.

"Food. Perfect. I'll get it now and make you guys something. Watch Foxface, okay?" Katniss said with a grin. She took the raccoon down and worked her magic. I looked down at Finch, who was coming too.

"I have...bandages...in..." She whispered, fading off as usual. I reached into her bag and pulled out gauze. I wrapped it around her stomach wound, and some around her face as well. She was bleeding almost everywhere.

"Good morning, Foxface." Said Katniss, as she came over with a perfect meal of raccoon.

"Finch." I corrected.

"Good morning, Finch."

"Oh, hello Katniss. Is that for us?" Finch asked, regaining a little bit of strength.

"Yes." She said, feeding some to Finch. We sat there, silently eating with grins and smiles spread across our faces, not knowing what awaited us tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8 - She's Mine

**Author's Note:**

**I haven't been posting like I promised, but that's for a good reason.**

**I've been working on other fanfics that I'll post soon. Of course, Hunger Games fanfics.**

**I got to make my own berry in this chapter! :D Replacing Nightlocke. .**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

After finishing what Katniss made, I noticed Finch had completely ignored hers. She was busy sorting out a wide arrangement of food in her pack. From exotic colored berries to thirty types of bird meat, she had a five course meal on her back.

"Where did you get all that?" I asked. Then I remembered: Food thief.

"Stole 'em from tributes. Some grabbed food then were slaughtered in the bloodbath, and their murders never cared to take their stuff." She said. She picked up a plump, orange berry then slit it open with her nail. It oozed out almost a lemon like substance, then slowly turned red. "Deadly." She spat, tossing it over her shoulder.

"How do you know?" Katniss asked.

"You can just tell. Like, never eat a purple or black berry unless your positive it's a grape or blackberry. It could be, for all we know, Snaketail." She said. Snaketail, a small, indigo berry that had a watery inside and would kill you if you even inhaled it's powerful, skunk like scent. It was only found in districts four, six, eight, nine, and in the past, thirteen.

"So, you're cautious." Katniss noted.

"When it comes to food, yes. When it comes to people, I mostly try to run."

"So that's why- in the forest, when we bumped into eachother..."

"I ran." Finch finished. Katniss and her must've had a past experience.

I packed what meat I had left, the licked the flavor off my hands. We had a ton of tributes to defeat, and Katniss was probably going to make me swallow bark and ants for the net few days. This meat was luxury, almost like eating grilled salmon topped with parsley for the special effect. I turned towards Katniss, holding my best knife. It had a sturdy handle, with a blade that would cut through steel. It was sharp and had jagged ends, perfect for slicing. It even came with a fancy, diamond encrusted sleeve to show it's value. That must be the way Katniss felt about her bow. I motioned them to get up and follow me, and both of them did, stomach full of our newly caught rabbit. The cameras were probably focused on Peeta. Ever since Katniss and I confessed our love, his story must be bouncing from district to district. Peeta, the clueless. Katniss, the traitor.

We neared the old Career camp that had nothing left but blood stains and ashes. We just walked over it now, because it was a part of our daily hunt. Katniss peeled off some tree bark and started scraping the thin sheets inside of it, chewing them slowly. No wonder mine tasted so bad- I wasn't eating the correct parts. Her lovely braid was wrapped around her shoulder, with hair strands popping out of the top. Her gray eyes settled on her snack, and when she finished, she threw it into a bush.

"Who do you think's left?" Asked Finch.

"Let's see...Marvel, Glimmer, Peeta, Thresh, some other tributes...I wasn't keeping track." I said, trying to remember the fading images in the sky. A cannon went off. Boom. another tribute dead.

"I hope it was Peeta." Katniss said.

"That's a little odd, since you guys-" Finch started, her words turning into silence. The red head just turned away, shrugging. "Oh, yeah, you and Cato."

"That's right." I announced proudly, winking and my squirrel. She giggled, her nice voice ringing in the air. As we walked on, we heard crunching. I pulled out my knife, Katniss grabbed her bow, and Finch stood guard, a poisonous berry locked in her fist. Out of the trees, bushes, and other greenery, approached a buff blonde male who was covered in mud. Peeta. I glanced at Katniss, who, surprisingly kept the bow raised.

"Katniss!" He cheered, waddling towards her.

"Back off, bread boy." She hissed. She was so hot when she was angry. Although, she was pretty scary too.

"What...what's wrong?" He asked, stammering. Her fingers slid on the bow, an arrow gliding through the air, piercing him right in the heart. Peeta fell over.

Finch and I turned to Katniss, wide eyed expressions. Who expected her to ruthlessly slaughter her so called lover? Then I remembered she loved me, and I was glad he was down and gone. She lowered the bow and bursted into tears, her hands covering her face in shock. She must not be used to murder. Finch kneeled down by her and rubbed her back, calmly whispering that it was okay.

It wasn't. The cameras were on us, surely. The star crossed lovers were now over and done, and it was mostly my fault. Angry people were now shouting at me through screens. I just wrapped my arms around her, whispering, "let's go." His cannon was shot, then, as the hovercraft covered the area, Finch slid his backpack over her arm and grinned. Then she followed us down the forest.

Halfway through our hunt, another cannon. The capital is surly happy that the deaths are rising today- and their favorite tribute is soon going to be crowned victor. When we stopped in what seemed like a forest inside a forest, Finch tore moss of the side of a tree. Inside the bark was almost a cavern. She walked in, allowing us to follow. She peeled the moss off the roof, allowing us to view our new camp. She slapped the door of vines and weeds back on the bark then lit a match.

"Where..?" I began.

"In Peeta's bag. He had a match, some berries, an arrow, and a tiny ax. Like, tiny. Not even big enough to chop a tree." Finch reported, inspecting the dead boy's belongings. Katniss just stared at the damp, dark, hollow cave we shuffled into. Her eyes, still dancing with fear and depression that she killed such an important tribute.


	9. Chapter 9 - We Aren't the Only Lovebirds

**Author's Note:**

**I'd like to give a shout out to my good friend jazziem01234, for encouraging me to write more.**

* * *

Chapter 9

The tree was a perfect place to stay. We were pretty well hidden, and it was near a small pond so we gathered quite a bit of water. Finch had gone off to spy on other tributes, so Katniss and I had the day to ourselves. Hooray!

"So, um, Kat. Can I call you that?" I asked awkwardly. I guess I've never had time to talk to her; everything seemed rushed. And to think about it, she might not even love me, she might just be using me to protect her or something.

She broke out into laughter, then replied, "Wow, Cato. For a mean killing machine, you can be..." She stopped there. She glanced at me as if she was looking for the right words.

"Weird?" I asked.

"No." She replied.

"Nice?"

"No...not really awkward, kind, or soft but..."

"Oblivious?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Bingo!" She shouted, pointing at me.

I chuckled and she grinned, then leaned in to kiss me. Just as we were about to connect, Finch came skipping into the picture and shouted, "Hey you guys, you'll ne-" she paused.

"What?" Katniss asked as she pulled back.

"Man, can you guys go a day without making out?" She asked. "Speaking of making out...you'll never guess what I caught Glimmer and Marvel doing!"

"Let me guess, they were-" I started.

"Kissing! In plain view!" Finch interrupted. It was nice to see her happy. But...why so cheerful over this?

"I guess we aren't the only love birds this year." Said Katniss, hugging my arm. I nodded. Finch sat down and pulled out an apple, then began munching on it.

We all sat there, waiting. I don't know for what. I guess, when people aren't running after you, and you aren't starving, there's no need to move around. We had a hiding spot, food, water, weapons, and happiness. Finch licked her fingers and tossed the core down a hill. She glanced up at us. "How long until this alliance...breaks?" She asked, almost scared.

"I don't know. We still have Thresh, Glimmer, Marvel...Now that I think of it, that's about it...everyone else has died off for their own reasons." I reported.

"So...we don't have much time together." She said in a faint whisper.

"I guess not." I replied.

She just stared at me, a worried expression on her face, then gulped and looked down at Katniss, who had no emotions. We didn't say too much. I gulped down a swish of water, Katniss popped some dried fruit in her mouth then fell asleep. We thought it was going to be a boring day, when we heard a crunch and a snap. Someone was coming. Finch leaped up and ripped off the moss, crawling in the tree. I pulled Katniss in with us, and we snapped the moss shut. I put down my love and let her rest. Finch peered in a hole.

"It's Marvel." She whispered.

"Where's Glimmer?" I asked.

"Not sur- oh, here she is." Said Finch.

"Where are they? I heard them." Marvel complained.

"Come on Marv, let's just go hunt Thresh." Said Glimmer.

"They have Cato. C-A-T-O. He's a threat."

"Come on..." Glimmer muttered.

The two went on for awhile, then left with no hopes of finding us. Glimmer sighed and started yelling and Marvel, but Finch couldn't make it out. She turned to us.

"Complicated relationships." She giggled. Katniss had woken up, and looked into her pack.

"We have some rabbit meat left. Any other food?" She asked.

"I've got nothing." I said.

"I have a roll and two pears." Finch replied.

We packed everything up, debated about what items get used for what, and then we left. The moss had felt soggy, indicating moisture in the air. As we came out, I had the feeling we weren't alone, but Katniss kept walking on. I can't argue with Kat, she's just too perfect. I followed her, when someone said,

"There you are." Glimmer!

I pulled out my spear and pointed it to her stomach. She looked up at me in shock, opened her throat, and had ten seconds to scream as loud as she could, hoping Marvel would save her in time. It was too late, the weapon dug into her stomach, and when I pulled it out, blood covered her surprised face.

"Glimmer! Glimmer!" Marvel shouted, running over to the limp body.

Our trio took off, pushing trees and bushes behind. We stopped somewhere in the middle of the forest that had large, unique flowers with different colors and patterns. We stopped to breathe for a moment, when a cannon blasted into the air.

"I kinda feel bad for Marvel. You know, Glimmer was really passionate during that makeout session, and-" Finch began.

"Finch, please. We don't have time to learn about how they kissed. We need to figure out how he'll get revenge." Katniss said. And he would definitely get revenge.


	10. Chapter 10 - Love and Lies

**Author's Note:**

**Glad you guys like the story. :D I've reaches 2,000 views! :D**

**Shout out to toritwilight504 for always reviewing and for being a fellow Catoniss lover.**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

As we sat in the meadow, panting like dogs, I investigated the flowers. They came in so many different colors, sizes, patterns, shapes and textures. One was a lime, neon green with orange stripes across the top. It was the size of my thumb, and it twisted like a crazy stair case, with a healthy stem. It felt like water rippling when you touched it.

"Snaketail." Finch said, crinkling her nose.

"What?" I asked,

"That's the Snaketail flower. When one dies, it's seeds grow a Snaketail bush. It's...confusing." She said, taking the flower from my palm. She twirled it in her fingers. "Let's hope Marvel likes pretty things."

"Well, he liked Glimmer." I said. Katniss glared at me.

"No, I didn't mean it like tha-" I started, when she got up.

"So you think Glimmer is prettier than me, huh?" She accused. Finch bit her lip and backed up.

"No, no-"

"You know what? I bet you killed her because you were jealous Marvel had her!" Katniss hissed. She slung her pack over her shoulder and kicked me in the face. She pulled out a sharp, clean knife and pointed it at my throat.

"Katniss, no!" Cried Finch. Katniss pushed her back into a pile of the Snaketail flowers.

"Anything else you want to tell me?" She growled.

"Clove kissed me." I confessed. Her eyes lit up with anger then she swiped the blade at me. I rolled over just in time, pulled out my sword, and knocked her down.

She had dropped her knife and it was inches away. I pinned her down, my hands wrapped around her wrists and my feet pushing on hers. My knife was just above her neck, about to dive into her flesh, when I stopped in my tracks. I loved her. Katniss was an amazing, talented, risky girl. I couldn't- in any possible way- kill her. With the sword pointed at her throat, I waited.

"Please." She choked. "Kill me."

"Why?" I yelled angrily.

"Because, I'm a horrible person. I killed Peeta- he wasn't bad. Annoying, yes, but he wasn't bad. He saved my life years ago, his father offered me cookies...I feel absolutely horrible. I don't know why exactly I shot him." She said, her eyes filling with tears. A few rolled down her cheek, but I stopped one with my finger.

"We all do things that make us sad, Kat. There are things in this world that- look, I know you're upset. And I killed Glimmer for no reason. I killed lots of kids for no reason." I said, about to cry as well. She sat up, throwing my sword another way, then wrapped her arms around me where we cried for a moment.

Finch had scrambled to her feet and grabbed both our weapons, worried we might hurt her. She had a scrape where Katniss pushed her back, but nothing major. I decided to check it out anyway, to see if it's a lot worst than it looked. After Katniss finely freed me, she went and captured Finch in her arms. We looked insane- all of us crying, hugging, threatening to kill each other.

An hour had passed, and our throats began to burn up. All those tears had really parched us. Katniss gathered her stuff and dragged herself into the forest. Finch and I quickly followed, making sure she was safe. She stopped by our usual pond, dipped her head in, and drank. We all followed, gulping down enough until we felt good again. Katniss rolled into my arms and fell asleep. Finch did the same, leaning on my shoulder. Eventually, I drifted off as well.

When I woke up, I found Finch sprawled out on my lap, mumbling something about hate. I rubbed her back, trying to soothe her, when I noticed that Katniss was no where to be found. She didn't even leave anything to tell us she was gone. I lifted up Finch and draped her over my shoulder, swiftly jogging through the forest in search of my love.

"Marvel...revenge...capture...Katniss..." Finch slowly mumbled out.

"What?" I asked. Finch eyes shot open, and her face was full red when she saw I was carrying her. She leaped off my back.

"Marvel. Got. Katniss. Then he...drugged me with...syrup!" She said in a rush. My eyes widened.

"Let's get her." I demanded, racing off. I saw smoke towering from near by trees, so I went in that direction. Heat was filling the air around me and it became harder to breathe. I saw Marvel, holding Peeta's matches, burning a tree. And tied to that tree, was Katniss.


	11. Chapter 11 - Revenge

**Chapter 11**

I grabbed my sword and ran up from behind Marvel, who had a smirk on my face. He pushed me down and grabbed it out of my hand, about to slash my head open. I screamed for Finch, but she was no where to be seen.

"You kill glimmer? I'll kill Katniss!" He snickered, stabbing me in the chest. I coughed up drops of blood on his face, and he wiped them off.

Katniss screamed in fear as she attempted sliding out of the rope, the fire dancing around her, just touching her skin. Her amazing braid was about to become ashes sliding off her neck, and I was about to be dead. I pulled my blade out of my flesh and moved too his back, where I attacked. It slit open his skin, so he pushed me too the side. It became harder to breathe, and the smoke was not helping.

Marvel turned to me, laughing like he did when Peeta fell off the climbing net in the training area. When he turned around, he screamed.

"Where is she?!" He yelled. The rope was broken and Katniss was gone. He whirled around, took out an ax, and swung it at me. I pinched my eyes shut as I heard a loud slicing noise. Marvel toppled over on me, his hands grabbing onto my sleeves. Behind him, a furious Finch.

Marvel curled up and began drooling out warm, sticky blood on my shirt. Just like Clove, he was captured my his anger and fury. Because of love. I listened to his faint mumbles. Something about Glimmer, a pet turtle, and how hot Finch was. Finch leaned over, hugged him tight, and whispered, "I'm sorry." Then kissed his cheek. She put him down onto the grass and his cannon fired.

Finch picked me up, struggling because of my weight. As the fire grew, she had to pull me out of the area. When I finally mustered the strength to walk, I limped around like a drunk man until we came to a clearing. I saw Katniss, curled up on the floor. I fell over, my arms on her neck.

"Katniss." I whispered.

"Cato..." She said in a broken voice. A small, white parachute swirled in the sky. Attached to it was healing cream. Finch rolled me over and rubbed it into my stab wound. She did the same to Katniss's burn, then she rolled up her shirt, and rubbed some on her chest where there was a huge, gushing cut.

"Where'd you get that?" I asked, ignoring the fact she had lifted her shirt all the way up to her neck.

"Thresh. I ran into him a little while earlier. No biggie." she said. She found everything, no biggie. Although, she does heal quickly. A day after Clove's beatings she seemed to be in perfect condition.

"All that's left it Thresh." Sighed Katniss, still holding on to me.

"You're right dearie." I said.

"He could be watching us right now, for all we know." Finch said with tears down her cheeks.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"It's Marvel. I feel...so bad. I've never killed anyone. And..." She began sobbing. Like yesterday, we all sat together, hugging and crying. At least there were no death threats. Besides the fact we were all in crappy condition. Katniss was burnt, I had a stab wound that was bound to get horribly infected, and who knew whatever scars Finch was hiding.

"Attack plans?" Katniss asked, breaking the depressing silence.

"We'll see when he appears. when he wants to strike."

"Then what?" Asked Finch. She never really trusted this alliance to last long- Katniss and I were in love. We'd kill her in a flash then debate which one of us would live. At least, that's how she saw it. But Finch? She was like that one sister you actually liked and you'd do anything to keep alive.

I think at this point, I'd rather commit suicide then win, if it meant seeing the two people I actually care about dead.


	12. Chapter 12 - Murderous Birds

**Author's Note:**

**We're already getting to the end of the games...**

**But it was fun writing this story. :D**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

The next morning, I sat up to see the healing cream worked. I sighed, happy to see my stomach was no longer gushing out blood. I stood up and looked at Katniss. My peaceful little angel had been through so much, I felt awful for doing all this too her. I leaned over and kissed her cheek, then pulled away. I looked down at Finch. Her hair was in two messy, frizzy buns, and she was curled up.

I grabbed my sword and sat next to the two, waiting for Thresh to come out when I saw them. Birds. They were a sunny yellow and they shot fire out of their mouths. The second they saw me, they targeted us. They swooped down, pecking our heads and scratching open our flesh.

"Get up, run!" I screamed. Finch was already up and running, but Katniss had difficulties. I lifted her up and carried her, running towards Finch. The birds were kind of dumb, so they whammed into trees and fell over dead.

Some were agile, though, and quickly followed us, shooting flames and a toxic mist, causing us to choke and stop in our tracks. I held my breath and continued running, but Finch fell over, having tripped on a rock. the birds swarmed over her, and her painful screams rang in my ears.

An arrow slid through the sky and stabbed one, then another and another. Katniss was awake and well. As she targeted the animals, I pulled finch out of the mess, rubbing healing cream every time I saw blood. Katniss kept fending them off, but finally she packed up her bow and pulled us away.

"It's no use!" She yelled. "There's millions!"

"Into the water!" I shouted, seeing a pond up ahead. I leaped in, and so did Katniss. Both of us held our breath. Finch leaped in, clinging to me. She shook her head with a worried look. she couldn't swim.

I held her closer to me, watching as the birds flew over us. Every couple of minutes we'd bob up for air, but then instantly we'd dive down for safety. It was risky, but it was our only plan. One time when I came up, I saw that the sky was clear. I pulled Finch out, signaling Katniss to follow. She crawled out of the water, gasping for air.

"What were those?!" Finch asked.

"Mutations. Tricks from the Capitol." Katniss said.

"The Game makers know we're both strong, and they want to weaken us for an interesting battle." I replied.

We sat, waiting for a cannon to fire, when finally, Finch scrambled up. She took a deep breath, and said, "Thresh is coming. I know it."

i grabbed my sword, Katniss had her arrows, and Finch had the ax she took from the limp body of Marvel. We stood in a circle, looking around. All of our weapons were ready to kill our next victim. We stared into the forest, when a tired Thresh appeared. His skin was bloody and beaten. He had birds sticking out of him, and he had a scythe ready for us.

"Well well, if it isn't the three musketeers. I didn't expect you to be a ladies man, Cato." Thresh taunted.

"Not like you could do any better." I shot back.

"I could. Look at those two. Katniss is a walking rag with a bow, and that other chick...she's...just weak." He said.

Finch trembled, and Katniss shot an arrow. It hit his arm, but after that, he tossed the scythe at her. Finch leaped in front of it, taking the blow. She fell back into the lake.

"Finch!" I screamed, diving after her. Katniss shot another arrow that pierced Thresh's neck. His cannon went off. I finally wrapped my arms around the sinking Finch and pulled her up.

"Cato..." she whispered, pulling the weapon out of her. It wasn't a deep wound, but it might kill her. Katniss dropped on her knees and hugged Finch.

"At least now, you won't have to face what you feared." Katniss said softly.

"What?" I asked.

"Us killing each other."


	13. Chapter 13 - Who Will Live

**Chapter 13**

I knew we were going to have to fight, but I had just tried to ignore it. I sighed as I rocked Finch in my arms, giving her the chance to say her good byes. But then I remembered- healing cream! I slipped my hand into the pack and pulled out the medicine. I dipped my fingers into it then rubbed some on her wound. There we were, the last three in the arena, and we were saving each others lives.

"Katniss, what do you think the game makers will do if we don't kill each other?" I asked.

"Send out traps and mutations. Try to kill two of us if we won't." She replied, untying Finch's hair and brushing it with her hand.

"I guess that's just what we'll have to do." I whispered. Finch could barley hold open her eyes, and was sleepily looking at us. She reached her hand out and stroked my cheek.

"I'm alive?" she asked. "It's not an illusion?"

I nodded, holding her to my chest. I slowly rocked her while I began standing up, and Katniss packed up everything but her bow as she followed me. There wasn't a lot left to the games.

"I guess this is where we split up." She whispered.

"Maybe." I replied. Finch had gained some strength and she slid out of my arms, stumbling around, managing to hold herself up.

"But do any of us actually want to kill each other?" Katniss asked.

"I don't." I said.

Katniss shook her head and Finch just gave us a little crazy laugh as she rubbed her wound, twirling around dizzily. I pulled out my sword, Katniss loaded her arrows, and Finch crawled on my back, sleeping. It was best she gained as much strength as possible. We stood around, waiting for the game makers to set a trap. To kill us off.

"We should take the blow. Let Finch live." Said Katniss.

"And die together." I finished. My hand found hers, as we gazed off into space.

After four minutes of relaxation, happiness and peace, we heard a loud screech. The birds were back. I held up my sword and Katniss loaded her bow with new arrows. We waited until they got closer, when we saw it. They had all gathered together and molded into one huge, deadly bird of some sort. The beak was pointy and covered in blood, the wings were long and had spikes coming off them, the eyes were pure fire, and the tail was a collection of four drills that were spinning rapidly. It could easily kill an enemy. The bird was the size of three elephants combined, and it was headed straight for us. Katniss shot an arrow quickly, but it bounced off the birds metallic feathers. The animal screeched loudly as a mixture of water, lighting, fire, toxic, and blood escaped it's beak and covered most of the arena.

Katniss and I ran towards the other side, with Finch still clinging to my back. We finally reached an area where we could breathe. none of us said a word, we just gasped and panted, waiting for it to be over. The bird flew above us, then swooped down with a twist, plucking Katniss up. That's when I saw it. The chest had a camera. Everyone was seeing us, but not the monster that was going to kill our team. I took my sword, slashed it at the camera, and saw an array of colorful wires and sparks shoot out of it. The bird fell to the ground with a thunk, freeing Katniss. I pulled her out, and she quickly fell down, showing the teeth marks the steel bird left in her skin.

"I love you." I whispered, holding her.

"I love you too, Cato." She replied. Finch began crawling off of me, and reached into her bag. She grabbed a handful or dark berries.

Snaketail.

Finch was about to pop there berries in her mouth when I slapped them right out of her hand. Why would she do such a thing to herself? I couldn't stand seeing anything bad happen to one of my best friends. I pulled her into a hug and whispered,

"Don't you dare kill yourself."

She looked at me with a weak and blank expression, then she began crying. we were out of ideas. Sooner or later, we were going to have to kill ourselves or each other. For now, we hung on tight. Katniss sat down next to me and leaned in for a kiss. Finch stuck her tongue out at us, so we pulled back. She scrambled out of my lap and into Katniss's, where she hugged her tight.

I wanted us all to survive. I wanted to marry Katniss, meet Finch's family, and live on to tell my story. But how could I do all of that? I needed to think. Then, out of no where, I got the best idea. I cleared my throat, pulled away from Finch and loudly spoke.

"You know, it'd be really cool if all three of us could win. Heck, it'd go down in history! The Games are pretty boring. I mean, every year it's the same exact thing. This? This would go down in history! And even people against the Games might be interested in them with this twist."

"You're right." Katniss caught on. "I mean, three victors? This would be the best Hunger Games to ever be played in! Right Finch?"

Finch weakly nodded her head, laughing a bit as she fluttered her eyes shut. We waited for a Game makers response, but there was nothing. I just looked at Finch then Katniss, then the sky. They were probably making the decision. As we waited, I finally heard it. The speakers came on, and a screechy voice filled the arena.

"All of Panem, we give you are 74th annual Hunger Games victors- Katniss Everdeen, Finch Corder, and Cato Axero!"


	14. Chapter 14 - Crowned

**Chapter 14**

The Hovercraft came to pick us up. I lifted up Finch, happy she'd finally be healed. Katniss and I climbed up the rope ladder, made our way in, and were instantly separated. The three of us were rolled off to rooms where we'd be taken care of, made to look proper for our next appearance.

Hours later, I finally awoke. I was strapped down to a bed, where I had multiple tubes in my body. It made me kind of happy that we were separated. I felt much stronger, more brutal. I felt like I didn't do enough killing back in the arena, but at least now, I was home. I wiggled around, wishing I could get up and move, but it was no use.

I waited for someone to come in, and finally, a black haired avox stumbled in plucked the tubes out of my flesh. He loosened the straps and exited the room without a single nod of the head. I got off the uncomfortable bed and opened the door, walking into a room where Finch sat. She was playing with little blocks, like a child would. There were bandages around her head, and she was giggling like a school girl. It was a little weird that I was in nothing but a hospital gown, but I just sat down and watched her enjoy herself for once.

I didn't realize she had suffered any brain damage, but she had been through a lot and never cared to tell us. This girl could be decapitated and treat it like a scratch. I just waited for my wonderful Katniss to appear. Finally, the familiar brown braids and expressionless face appeared, in a night gown with a cane. She slumped into a chair, holding her hads out and locking them with mine.

"Look what I wrote." Giggled Finch, showing us her blocks. She had sets of them, and in all they said, "KILL ME NOW, PLEASE."

We looked at her, then Katniss lifted one of her hands and stroked Finch's cheek with it. "It's amazing." She whispered.

As we sat in silence, listening to Finch's humming, I thought about how furious Clove's family would be with me. How furious my family would be. I leaned in and Kissed Katniss again, hoping I'd never have to leave. That's when a group of Game makers and peace keepers waddled in.

"It's show time." One of them said in a tired, gruff voice. We all stood up, even Finch, and went to our stylists.

I was in a gold tuxedo with a blue gem in the middle, much like the one on the handle in my sword. On the side, was a Mockingjay pin. Only instead of an arrow, it was carrying a knife. Nice. I walked out too see Katniss in a bright orange dress with fire and such, also carrying a Mockingjay pin. She glanced at me, and we embraced.

I heard loud screams coming from Finch's dressing room. Her stylus waddled out, heavily breathing.

"She's crazy. Just crazy." He panted.

Finch came out a short, lovely yellow gown with a red sash in the middle. The sash had a picture of a Mockingjay, only it was holding an ax. And in it's mouth was a vine of berries.

"Katniss!" She cried, running over to her. I unlocked my arms and gave Katniss time to talk to Finch.

"You look amazing!" Katniss said.

"Not as nice as you." Cooed Finch.

"Ladies, ladies, we all know I look best." I said in a charming voice.

"Oh, Cato." Laughed Katniss. We leaned in for a kiss, when Caesar Flickerman yelled,

"Here are our victors!" Which was our cue.

We all walked on stage and sat on the couch that was awaiting us. I took the left side, Katniss took the middle, and Finch sat on the right. Her hair was in two buns tied together with an interesting yellow ribbon. She still had the head bandages, though. Katniss had a regular braid, nothing new or special. And I had my signature Mohawk. We looked normal. Until they turned on the light. When all the stage lights were pointed at us, our outfits glittered and glistened and lit up the room.

"Pretty pretty..." Murmured Finch.

"Yes, pretty pretty. So! How does it feel to be the victors of the Hunger Games?" Asked Caesar.

"Well, it's the most breath taking moment of my life. Literally- those hospital rooms are pretty stuffy." Said Katniss with a slight grin.

"Pretty, pretty..." Finch said again, picking at her nails.

"Stunning." I said.

President Snow delivered a crown to us. It was split in three- The middle of it was just a chunk of shiny gold, and it was placed on Katniss. Finch played with hers.

"I like Marvel." She said in her child like voice. "He had a pet turtle named Sparky." She said again.

"So, he did. And it must be amazing, to be winners. I hope you all enjoy your trip back home. It's a shame you love birds will be separated." Caesar said, winking at Katniss and I. We just grinned back, leaned in, and kissed. I really, truly, loved her**.**


End file.
